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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
I'm reading this for a class, and I'm glad it was one of the books. I really enjoyed this.
First off, for some reason, I really enjoyed the art. It's simple, but it's well done. Every character is unique. The three brothers look like brothers, but they are all distinct. Also, I love the crispness of the lines and colors. It's a very aesthetically pleasing book.
As for the story; I know the basics of the Boxer Revolution, but really, not that much. So this was an interesting take on it. It's always nice seeing a historical event from the point of view of one of the members. It makes it more real, instead of just something you read a summary about in a history book.
The best part to me was the question of right and wrong. In the beginning, you completely agree with Bao, and believe he is right in his actions. But the further you get in the story, the more he doubts himself and wonders if he's doing the right thing. Bao is a hero, but he's not a flawless hero. He makes a lot of mistakes. He's real, and he's human. He's not the perfect Superman. So I really enjoyed that. And I love that my opinion on his actions changed from the beginning of the book to the end. I still liked Bao, he's a great character, but I stopped agreeing with him, and that's the point.
I think the only thing that threw me off was the hint of magical that was thrown in, what with them all becoming Opera Gods/Characters. I get that it was mostly metaphorical, but it did throw me off a tiny bit in the beginning. It's slightly cheesy.
This story is just so raw and so real, it's very well done. Horrible things happen and Yang does not try and make them seem less horrific. He makes you dislike Bao towards the end, because you're supposed to. He makes you realize that the Boxer Rebellion sucked for China; it's hard to say anybody won, really.
Definitely looking forward to reading the second part of this story.
First off, for some reason, I really enjoyed the art. It's simple, but it's well done. Every character is unique. The three brothers look like brothers, but they are all distinct. Also, I love the crispness of the lines and colors. It's a very aesthetically pleasing book.
As for the story; I know the basics of the Boxer Revolution, but really, not that much. So this was an interesting take on it. It's always nice seeing a historical event from the point of view of one of the members. It makes it more real, instead of just something you read a summary about in a history book.
The best part to me was the question of right and wrong. In the beginning, you completely agree with Bao, and believe he is right in his actions. But the further you get in the story, the more he doubts himself and wonders if he's doing the right thing. Bao is a hero, but he's not a flawless hero. He makes a lot of mistakes. He's real, and he's human. He's not the perfect Superman. So I really enjoyed that. And I love that my opinion on his actions changed from the beginning of the book to the end. I still liked Bao, he's a great character, but I stopped agreeing with him, and that's the point.
I think the only thing that threw me off was the hint of magical that was thrown in, what with them all becoming Opera Gods/Characters. I get that it was mostly metaphorical, but it did throw me off a tiny bit in the beginning. It's slightly cheesy.
This story is just so raw and so real, it's very well done. Horrible things happen and Yang does not try and make them seem less horrific. He makes you dislike Bao towards the end, because you're supposed to. He makes you realize that the Boxer Rebellion sucked for China; it's hard to say anybody won, really.
Definitely looking forward to reading the second part of this story.
I'm withholding final judgment until I read Saints, but my initial reaction is that I don't like this as much as American Born Chinese. I did like that I learned something about a historical period that I knew almost nothing about. I think this may be hard sell to teens (at least the teens that I work with).
I think this was a great way to learn about Chinese history and culture. As a Chinese-American, it especially interested me as some aspects were very familiar and some were completely foreign. Little Bao's story illustrates the inner conflict of war and fine line between heroism and villainy well. I also love how spirituality was addressed in this book. I think it is fitting that the god were portrayed as real as they were real to the people the books perspective was from. Gene Luen Yang does magical realism in a way that is not so much mysterious as it is to open people's eyes to different perspective. The way he ties in mythology into the story really grew on me. Great book!
Boxers is the first of a two-part graphic personal history of China's Boxer Rebellion. This story centers on Little Bao, the youngest brother who rises up to become the leader of a rebel group trying to take back China from "foreign devils" (Europeans and Christian missionaries). Little Bao loves opera and mythology, and also secretly begins learning kung fu with a special teacher/mentor. Bao is a natural leader, and after a series of experiences, he finds his place as leader of the homegrown militia group.
Yang expertly handles Little Bao's experiences and transition from boy to man. Strong dialogue and amazing artwork. This one is highly recommended.
Longer spoken review of this book and the companion Saints on Jenny's Reading Envy Podcast 097: Blank Spaces (guest: me!)
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Read for Book Riot's 2017 Read Harder Challenge "a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey"
Yang expertly handles Little Bao's experiences and transition from boy to man. Strong dialogue and amazing artwork. This one is highly recommended.
Longer spoken review of this book and the companion Saints on Jenny's Reading Envy Podcast 097: Blank Spaces (guest: me!)
--
Read for Book Riot's 2017 Read Harder Challenge "a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey"
adventurous
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Really good. I was a little hesitant because I didn't love Luen Yang's [b:American Born Chinese|118944|American Born Chinese|Gene Luen Yang|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317066615s/118944.jpg|114515], but this was just wonderful. I really liked the characters and felt for Bao's various dilemmas, and I cannot wait to get my little mitts on Saints.
Going into "Boxers," I knew next to nothing about the Boxer rebellion (thank you crappy education). I had seen mention of it once or twice (including in the book "Midnight in Peking") but was short on the details. So, I can't speak to the historical accuracy of the book, although in a story such as this what "history" says and the reality may not be particularly close.
That said, I think that Yang does a bang-up job distilling the history into a tale about real people's lives. We follow the Righteous brothers from their start in one small village until the aftermath in Beijing. The artwork shows the duality of their story. On one hand, you've got the cartoonish peasants in panels of browns and grays, with our hero being a sort of Joe China. The other side of the coin shows the lavishly drawn and brightly colored gods into which the brothers (and their supporters) believed themselves transformed during battle. We see it all from the brothers' perspective: the training, the journey, and the slaughters. I could understand why the Boxers felt justified in what they were doing. Doesn't make the whole killing-women-and-children thing less horrible, but you see their perspective (fueled by superstition, religion, and probably opium).
Interestingly, Boxers is half of a pair of graphic novels, with the other (Saints) presenting the rebellion from the perspective of a Christian Chinese girl who we briefly meet in Boxers. I think it's a great idea on Yang's part, to tell the story of a place and time in history whose interpretation depends mainly on which side the interpreter was on.
Disclosure: I received an e-copy of the book via NetGalley.
That said, I think that Yang does a bang-up job distilling the history into a tale about real people's lives. We follow the Righteous brothers from their start in one small village until the aftermath in Beijing. The artwork shows the duality of their story. On one hand, you've got the cartoonish peasants in panels of browns and grays, with our hero being a sort of Joe China. The other side of the coin shows the lavishly drawn and brightly colored gods into which the brothers (and their supporters) believed themselves transformed during battle. We see it all from the brothers' perspective: the training, the journey, and the slaughters. I could understand why the Boxers felt justified in what they were doing. Doesn't make the whole killing-women-and-children thing less horrible, but you see their perspective (fueled by superstition, religion, and probably opium).
Interestingly, Boxers is half of a pair of graphic novels, with the other (Saints) presenting the rebellion from the perspective of a Christian Chinese girl who we briefly meet in Boxers. I think it's a great idea on Yang's part, to tell the story of a place and time in history whose interpretation depends mainly on which side the interpreter was on.
Disclosure: I received an e-copy of the book via NetGalley.